Proportional-feed regulator



L. E. MAXEY. PROPORTIONAL FEED REGULATOR.

APPUCATION FILED FEB. 14, I922.

1,427,405. Patented Aug. 29, 19,22."

INVENTOR. Lloyd E. Makeg FIG- 3 5 A TTORNE Y.

LLOYD E. MAXEY, OF WICHITA, KANSAS.

PBOPORTIONAL-FEED REGULATOR.

Memos.

Specification of Letters latent. Patcgntgd Aug, 29, 1922,

Application filedlebruary 14, 1922. Serial No. 536,577.

a specification, reference being had to the drawings forming a parthereof.

My invention relates to proportional feed regulators, of a type adapted for use in dividing a stream of non-liquid material into two streams that must be proportioned to each other. s

The generalobject ofmy invention is to provide a simple, accurate, easily adjustable apparatus by means of which the volumes of the two streams may-be proportioned in any desired ratio within limits. The scalebeam of the device is so graduated that the ratios will be indicated as hundredths or, as commonly termed, percentages and the reading of the scale-beam is taken directly from the positions of the two weights thereon.

The specific object of my invention is to provide, in a regulator ofthis type, automatic means for maintaining the predetermined flow ratio at all times, and especially whenever the stream falling through the single spout tends more to one side of the valve than totheother. This operation is effected by special devices determining the angle at which the valve isheld under the circumstances.

My regulator in substantially the form illustrated in the accompanying drawing is capable of handling either whole grains, seeds, or any fine or small granular material, as mill products.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the regulator with, portions of the housing and of plate 18 broken away for eXposother parts; Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the housing and the retarding devices with their linkages to the shaft; Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view of the complete apparatus, taken on'line III of Fig. 2;;Fig. 4: is a.

horizontal sectional view on the same line, looking up. 2

Referring in detail to the parts: The housing, 5, is of inverted V shape, comprising the receiving leg a and thedischarge legs 6. The lower end of a feeding spout 6 is connected to the leg at at c.

Just ahQVQ'the bifurcation cl of the 110118- ing, bearings, are located for the transverse shaft 7. In the construction shown, these hearings are provided by holes cut through the walls 5 and the shaft is freely rockable in said holes. I c

The valve-tongue 8 is fixedly mounted on shaft? and extends upwardly. The scale-beam 9 is keyed on one projectmg end of said shaft midway between its ends, and extends horizontally. It is pro vided with two series of graduations 10, one

series on each arm of the beam. Slidably mounted on opposite arms of the beam are two weights 12, which balance each other. Each weight is provided with a set-screw 13.

Rigidly mounted on the lowermost portion of the tongue 8 is the centre of my equalizing device, the function of which has beenindicated above. In its. preferred form, this device consists of four symmetrical series of impact-plates, 14:, 15, mounted rigidly in a frame composed of a pair of outside frame-plates 18 and a pair of upright partition-plates. From the centre, each set of plates, 16 and 18, inclines downwardly at the angleshown on Fig. 1. Each of the impact-platesla, 15 is inclined outwardly and downwardlyfrom its upper edge, withfrespect to the central vertical axis of the housing. It. is to be noted that the plates of one series (let) are staggered inFig." 1, the upper ends 1 1 of two of the plates 14: are. secured to the tongue, thus keying the equalizing device to the shaft 7, which passes through holes in the plates 18 of said device.

In order-toprevent sudden, jerky motions of the balanced parts, I provide, on the opposite side of the housing from the beam, a pair of dashpots 20, the piston-rods 21 of which are connected with a pairof arms 22 pivoted on a shaft 23 mounted on the housing. Pivots 24 on said arms are connected by rods 25 with pivots 26 on a balanced lever 27, keyed on shaft 7 5 the rods 25 being parallel.

Operation: The weights 12 are set at the graduations representing the proportional feeds desiredfor example, one at l0 and the other at 60, and the set-screws 13aretightened. The weight farthest from centre will descend, inclining the valve-tongue 8 toward the side that will discharge the smaller stream. If the stream of material equally distributed through the intake spout, relative to the halves thereof at opposite sides of the valve-tongue, the latter will maintain its initial position.

As soon as the supply stream varies from the above-described condition, more material will fall upon one arm of the equalizing device than-before. This added weight will shift said device on its pivot and the motion will be communicated to the part 8, which will shift so as to divide the stream in a way tocom-pensate for the condition of the stream that is, in the predetermined ratio.

I have found that my equalizing device as formed in the angular shape shown on Fig. 1, will function better than it would if the two arms or halves thereof were in straight alinement.

I wish it understood that the drawings are only illustrative, and that many immaterial modifications and mechanical equivalents of the construction there shown might fall within the scope of my invention,

The dashpots 20 do not decrease the sensitiveness of the regulator even slightly, as they are of the frictionless type, their pistons playing loosely in the cylinders which are filled with oil or glycerin.

*Iaving described the invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patcut: I

1. In combination, a housing having a receiving leg and two discharge legs, a pivotally mounted vertical valve-plate, a beam secured to the pivoted portion of the valveplate, two weights slidably mounted on opposite arms of said beam, and means for retarding the motions of said valve-plate and beam in either direction.

2. In combination, a housing having a receiving leg and two discharge legs, a horizontal shaft passing through the housing adjacent the bifurcation thereof, pivots for said shaft, a valve-plate rigidly mounted. on said shaft, a beam ri idly mounted on said shaft, two weights mounted on opposite arms of said beam, and a set-screw in each weight.

3. In combination, a housing having a receiving leg and two discharge legs, a pivot shaft passing horizontally through the housing above the meeting point of the discharge legs, a valveplate within the housing and fixedly mounted on said shaft, an equalize ing device within the housing and fixedly mounted on said shaft below said valve relative to the other series in the plate, said equalizing device being made in two symmetrical halves which extend into the respective discharge legs, and a beam fixedly mounted on said shaftextcrior to the housing, and a pair of equal weights movably mounted on opposite arms of said beam.

4. In combination, a downwardly-bifurcated housing, a pivot-shaft passing horizontally through the housing above the bifurcation, means in the upper part of the housing for dividing an inflowing stream into two streams, and means mounted equally on opposite sides of said shaft within the housing, adapted to receive the divided streams respectively, and being so connected with said stream-dividing means as to govern the position of the latter.

In combination, a pivoted vertical valve-plate positioned to divide a falling stream into two streams; pivots for said valve-plate; a stream-receiving device lo cated below said valve-plate and pivotally mounted on a pivotal axis in vertical aline ment with said pivots; said device extending equally outward from opposite sides of its pivotal axis, the opposite arms of said device being located to lie in the paths of the respective divided streams; and in operative connectionbetween said device and the valve-plate.

6. In a regulator of the kind described, a stream-receiving and equalizing device comprising a hollow frame, pivots supporting said frame at the centre thereof, said pivots being in a horizontal line, and a series of spaced, inclined plates fixedly mounted in each half of said device, said plates being inclined from the vertical and being normally at angles of less than 45 degrees from the vertical, said plates at opposite arms of the device being oppositely inclined.

7. In a regulator of the kind described, a pair of horizontally-alined pivots, a streamreceiving and equalizing device compris-' ing a hollow frame, the centre of which is mounted upon said pivots, and two series of spaced, inclined plates rigidly mounted in each arm of said frame; one of the series in each arm of the frame being staggered same arm;

and all of the inclined plates mounted in either arm of the frame being of opposite inclination to those plates mounted in the opposite arm.

8. In a regulator of the type described, a horizontal pivotal-axis and a stream-receiving and valve-actuating device compris ing a hollow frame of length exceeding its breadth, partition-plates parallel with the longitudinal members of the frame, and four series of inclined plates disposed b tween the partition-plates and the longitudinal frame members, transversely of the frame; said inclined plates being outwardly said beam, and a stream-receiving and valve-actuating device comprising a hollow frame of greater length than width, centrally mounted on said shaft and valveplate so as to actuate the latter, and two series of impact-plates fixedly mounted in each arm of said frame, the impact-plates of either series being outwardly and down- 2O wardly inclined from a vertical plane passing through the line of the shaft.-

LLOYD E. MAXEY. 

